


Satisfaction Brought Him Back

by kee



Series: JOB 'verse [7]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-17
Updated: 2012-03-17
Packaged: 2017-11-02 02:27:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kee/pseuds/kee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Misha figures a few things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Satisfaction Brought Him Back

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday fic for tcs1121.

When Vicki hears he’s going to play a messenger of God, she laughs her ass off. It’s ridiculous, to the point that Misha is afraid she’s actually going to hurt herself. And really, it’s not _that_ funny.

He supposes it should be irritating, his wife in virtual hysterics at the mere thought of him as an angel, but he’s spent years with that laugh. Her happiness always sparks his own and this is no exception. 

He gives her a couple of minutes to get it out of her system, indulging them both. “You about done there, Chuckles?”

Pressing her lips together tightly, she nods, but her eyes are still dancing. When she takes a deep breath, he assumes she’s calming down, but then she’s off again.

His slight grimace is all for show. “Guess not.”

“It’s just, you… as an angel… Have they _met_ you?”

Misha grins, because she’s not wrong. Angelic is probably the last word anyone who knows him would use to describe him. From his mother to his seventh grade teacher right up to the woman still giggling in front of him. They all know better than that.

He pulls her close. “I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.”

She raises her face and slides her arms around his waist. “As you should.”

There’s residual mirth in her soft smile. He thinks she might be done laughing at him for now, but he bends to kiss her just in case.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

\+ || + || +

The job is a three-episode arc with the chance for more if the character catches on, so Misha decides to do a little research. He’s never seen the show, which doesn’t mean much in the scheme of things. There are lots of shows he’s never seen. Even though episodic TV has been his bread and butter for the last few years, he’s not really a fan. He rarely finds the finished product interesting. But, this could be a long-term gig, and he wants to be prepared.

Besides, the DVDs are on sale.

Vicki is already settled in bed as he loads the first disc. She’s propped up against the headboard, engrossed in the thick book lying open across her lap. Smart is sexy, and his wife is living proof – black framed glasses, hair in a messy bun, baby doll nightie. She looks like a naughty librarian. And that’s definitely a scenario worth exploring.

The Winchesters can wait. Misha pounces on the bed, crawling over to Vicki and sliding a hand up her leg. She’s smiling slightly, even as she pushes him off. “Oh, no you don’t, buddy. I’ve got to have twenty thousand words by next Tuesday.” She taps his nose with her highlighter then points it at the television. “You do your homework and I’ll do mine.”

And that’s just not fair. She _knows_ what her ‘stern’ voice does to him.

“But, sweetie…”

“No. Work now. Play later.”

Misha sighs and flops onto his back, reaching for the remote. Thirty minutes later, he’s surprised to discover he’s actually enjoying what he’s watching. It’s clearly a genre show, but the actors have chemistry and it’s got a vibe to it Misha really likes. Halfway through the third episode, he glances over at Vicki to find her focusing on the screen rather than her research.

He recognizes the glint in her eye. “Hey, no drooling over my future co-stars.”

“But, they’re so pretty.”

“I’m pretty too.”

She pats him on the head. “Of course you are, baby.”

He knows better than to be jealous, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play it up for effect. “I’m prettier than they are.”

Vicki _hmms_ in what he chooses to take as agreement. She marks her place and sets her book on the nightstand. When he lifts his arm, she snuggles in and rests her head on his chest. “What did you say this was called again?”

“ _Supernatural_.”

“Isn’t this the show where the guy got shot?”

“People get shot on TV all the time, Vick.”

“No. I mean _really_ shot. One of the actors. Last year, I think. You were in North Carolina filming that pilot. It was a big story for a couple of days.”

Misha’s instantly intrigued. “What happened?”

“I don’t remember the details. I do remember that it was kind of random, like some crazy person got on set or something.”

Misha motions toward the screen. “Do you remember which one got shot?”

She shakes her head. “No. Sorry. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find out, though.”

He’ll Google it tomorrow.

\+ || + || +

Google is shockingly unhelpful. 

He finds the original news story and a YouTube video of a press conference from the hospital in Vancouver. But there’s not the information blitz he would expect to see from the Hollywood machine. No interviews on _Extra_ , no cover story on _People_ magazine, no crewmember blogging about it on Facebook.

Although there isn’t much on the shooting, there’s no shortage of information on the show in general or the actors in particular. He finds out that Jared Padalecki has the _Gilmore Girls_ on his résumé and a broken engagement under his belt. Jensen Ackles got his start on a soap, did a stint on _Dark Angel_ and has been bouncing around on WB shows for the last couple of years.

Misha comes across footage from an event at the Paley Center and watches it twice. It’s entertaining as hell for one thing, and it gives him valuable intel on the people he’ll be working with and for. He had no idea that Kim Manners was so short. Or so funny. Everyone clearly gets along, especially the two leads. Misha’s relieved to see it. He still has the occasional nightmare from the time he did _Charmed_.

After hours of surfing the net, all he knows about the shooting that he didn’t know last night is that it was Jensen who was shot, that he was in the hospital awhile and filming on the series resumed with little fanfare several weeks later.

Misha’s always been a curious guy. The sheer lack of information on the incident only makes him want to learn more. It seems like something straight out of a script, crazy and extreme. Shit like that isn’t supposed to happen in real life.

He wonders what it _felt_ like, staring down the barrel of a gun. He’s played it before, but it’s only been guesswork and instinct. To actually experience it first hand, or to even talk to someone who has – the actor in him can’t help but see the potential goldmine.

He _really_ wants the rest of the story. Lucky for him, he’ll have at least three weeks to find it.

\+ || + || +

Misha’s an old hand at being the new kid. 

He’s learned to go in, do his job, and keep his expectations low. In his experience, there’s a naturally occurring distance between guest stars and the regular cast and crew. Especially on a show that’s been on for any significant length of time. It’s not quite _us_ and _them_ , but it’s close enough that he tends to keep his guard up. The regulars have their shared history and inside jokes. Usually, it’s a code that’s tough to crack. So, usually, he doesn’t try.

Day one on the set of _Supernatural_ is like all the others. He meets with the production director, who gives him the call times and a two-page confidentiality agreement. As he scribbles his name across the bottom, he wonders absently which of his co-stars created the need for it. Maybe someone is particularly temperamental. Or maybe Jared’s working his way through every available girl in the province of British Columbia since his break-up. Or maybe, just maybe, Jensen’s having issues associated with last spring’s trauma. The possibilities are endless and only time will tell.

He’s taken on a tour of the set and spends an hour in wardrobe getting fitted. It’s not until he’s in hair and make-up that he meets the principal actors. Shannon is brushing powder across his face and Misha is trying not to sneeze when the door opens and Jensen walks in, Jared following close behind.

They both stop when they see Misha in the chair. Jared grins. His voice has the singsong quality of a thirteen-year-old with the latest copy of _Tiger Beat_. “Look, Jensen. It’s your _angel_. He’s so dreamy.”

Jensen elbows Jared in the gut without even turning his head. Then he steps forward, hand outstretched. “Jensen Ackles. Good to meet you.”

“Misha Collins. Nice to meet you, too.”

Jensen releases Misha’s hand and steps back, nearly bumping into Jared. “And this is Jared Padalecki. Ignore anything and everything he says.”

Jared reaches around and slaps his left hand over Jensen’s mouth while extending his right to Misha. “Ignore _this_ , Ackles.” Jensen’s laugh is muffled against Jared’s palm, but he doesn’t try to move away from it.

“Welcome to the madhouse, man. We’re glad to have you.” Jared’s grip is strong and his smile sincere.

Lead actors don’t generally invest enough energy in guest stars to feel much of anything, unless it’s resentment for lost screen time, so Misha’s a little bit skeptical. “Really?”

Jared looks genuinely puzzled. “Well, yeah. The more, the merrier. ‘Sides, if you’re working with this joker instead of me, means I get to put my feet up, maybe take a nap.”

Jensen nods. “He’s not kidding. And there’s not much he enjoys more than sleep.”

“Oh, I can think of several things I enjoy more, Jen. Would you like a list?”

Misha’s remembers his sleuthing turned up the fact that Jensen identifies as sort of religious. And maybe that explains his sudden blush, but Misha’s not sure. Jared’s watching Jensen, waiting for a response, but Jensen looks away, rubbing the back of his neck.

He’s so focused on the interaction between them that Shannon’s voice actually startles him.

“What do you guys want, anyway?” She points at Jensen. “I finished with you an hour ago. And you, Padalecki, you’re not even working today. What are you doing in my trailer?”

“Just came for the candy, ma’am.” He moves toward the shelf in the corner, bumping Jensen’s shoulder as he passes. “You are in so much trouble now, dude.”

Shannon puts her hands on her hips. “Jensen?”

“Umm. I need you to fix the thing.”

Somehow, Jared manages sarcasm even around a mouth full of gummi worms. “Very articulate, Jen. Nice job.”

“Shut up. You are no help at all.”

Jared shrugs. “I told you not to touch it.”

“Jensen. Please tell me you did not fuck up a prosthetic I spent _two hours_ on this morning.”

“It _itches_.”

Jared snorts. “Way to be a whiner, man.”

Shannon sighs the sigh of the long suffering. “Misha. You can get up. You’re done. Jensen, take off your shirt and sit down.” She whirls to face Jared. “And you. Eat your candy and stay quiet, hear me?”

Jensen snickers. “Yeah, Jay. Eat your candy and keep your mouth shut like a good little boy.”

“ _Hey_. What did I do?”

Misha thinks he knows. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

Jensen pulls his t-shirt over his head. “ _Exactly_.” He reaches for the fake scar on his arm with his opposite hand, but Shannon slaps it away before he can scratch.

“Don’t touch that!”

“Sorry.” Jensen raises both arms in surrender and that’s when Misha sees the _real_ scar. Right in the center of Jensen’s chest. It’s raised and red, a testament to how recent the injury, and it’s _right in the center of Jensen’s chest_. Abstract knowledge that Jensen had been shot is one thing; coming face to face with the proof is another.

Misha stares at the scar and wonders how in the hell Jensen is even alive. It’s horrific and fascinating at the same time. “Wow.”

Suddenly, Jared is in front of Misha, blocking his view. His expression is hard, all traces of his earlier friendliness long gone. “Problem?”

Jared is _big_ , like seriously big. And Misha’s man enough to admit when he’s intimidated. “No. No problem. Sorry, I just…”

“You just _what_?”

Misha drops his head because some moves are instinctual and the last thing he wants to do right now is make Jared think he’s challenging him. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Jensen reach out and wrap a hand around Jared’s wrist. Misha watches Jensen tug gently and looks up in time to see Jensen pull Jared toward him, until Jared’s shoulder brushes his chest.

Jensen tugs again, turning Jared until his back is to Misha. “Jay. Chill. It’s fine.” 

Misha recognizes an exit cue when he sees one. “I should leave.”

Shannon gives him a small smile and nods. Jensen doesn’t look away from Jared. 

And he doesn’t let go.

\+ || + || +

After a couple of wrong turns, Misha finds the soundstage where they’ll be filming his first scene. He’s a little out of breath from rushing. Being late right out of the box is no way to make a good impression. When he spots the director’s chair with Jensen’s name on it, he realizes how silly it was to worry. They can’t start without Jensen anyway. There’s a guy in sitting next to the empty chair, chewing on a ballpoint pen and working some kind of puzzle. He’s clearly in costume and make-up, so it’s a pretty safe bet this must be ‘Bobby’. 

He clears his throat. “Hi. I’m Misha Collins.”

“Jim Beaver. Pleased to meet you.”

“So, is having a name that starts with ‘J’ a requirement for this gig? Because if it is, I think I’m in the wrong place.”

“Either that or a hometown in Texas, but don’t worry, you’ll be fine. We’ve been known to make exceptions.” Jim smiles with his eyes and Misha knows right away he’s going to like him.

“Crossword book?”

“Sudoku. My wife gave it to me to pass the time. Only do about every third one, though. The simple ones bore me to tears and the hard ones kick my ass.”

Misha nods. He gets that. “I like a good puzzle. I like figuring things out. It’s not a whole lot different than settling into a new character, you know?”

“I do.”

Misha waves a hand at Jensen’s chair. “Do you think he’d mind?”

“Lord, no. Have a seat. Jensen’s no diva. You’ll learn that soon enough. Both of the boys are as easy as you please.”

Misha thinks about the steel in Jared’s glare, not even twenty minutes ago, and he has to wonder. But before – before Misha stuck his foot in his wide-open mouth– there was plenty of teasing and, yes, ease. So, maybe… “I just met them. They laugh a lot.”

“Yep. Everyone around here does. Antidote for long hours and hard work, I suspect.”

“It’s a good group?”

“The best. I’ve been kicking around for a lot of years and this is, hands down, my favorite place to work.”

“You’re recurring, right? You’ve been on since the first year?”

“Tail end of it, yeah.”

Misha sees an opportunity to get some answers. “Were you here when it happened?”

Jim straightens and the smile winks out of his eyes, but he doesn’t pretend not to understand what Misha’s asking. “No.” A simple ‘no’. He’s not offering any more information, he’s not asking why Misha wants to know. He’s just holding Misha’s gaze steadily. Waiting.

Even though it makes Misha feel kind of like a kid being called on the carpet, he presses his luck a little further. “It was a pretty big thing that happened.”

“Yes. It was.”

“There’s like, no information on it past the bare bones of the incident, and believe me I’ve looked.”

“You ever stopped to think there might be a reason for that?”

“Why is everything so hush-hush?”

“Why do you care? Oh, I see. It’s a _puzzle_. Something else for you to figure out.”

Jim is looking past Misha’s shoulder and Misha turns to see Jensen approaching. Jim stands up. “You seem like a nice guy, so I’m going to give you a piece of advice guaranteed to make your time here more enjoyable for everyone.”

“Okay.”

Jim hands over the book and the pen. 

“Stick to Sudoku.”

\+ || + || +

Later in the afternoon, Misha can’t resist taking another run at it while Jeannie’s touching up his hair. When he puts the words ‘Jensen’ and ‘shot’ in the same sentence the color washes from her face and there’s an instant sheen of tears. Misha apologizes immediately and backs away slowly. 

On the phone with Vicki that night, he’s frustrated and confused. “I just don’t understand it. You’d think I was running around mentioning _Voldemort_ from the reactions I’m getting.”

He hears the soft breath of her sigh on the other end of the line. “Baby, you know I love you, but sometimes you’re pretty and sometimes you’re pretty stupid.”

“What am I missing?”

“You’re poking away at a sore spot, Misha. This isn’t a book you’re reading or a movie you’re watching. This isn’t even a scene you have to figure out how to play. This _really happened_ to them. I’m sure it was horrible and terrifying and I’m sure the last thing any of them want to do is relive it just to satisfy your curiosity”

It makes total sense. Jensen had seemed to take Misha’s awkward staring in stride, but Jared had gone into full-on protective mode. Like Misha asking about the scar would somehow _hurt_ Jensen. And, wow, that had never occurred to him for a second, which might make him a level of asshole he hadn’t known he was capable of attaining. “I didn’t mean…”

“I know you didn’t, but you really need to just let it go.” This is his wife, ladies and gentlemen. Calling him on his bullshit since 1991. 

It’s just one of the million reasons why he loves her.

\+ || + || +

Misha oversleeps the next morning and misses the hotel’s complimentary continental breakfast, so when he gets to the set he heads straight for craft services. Jensen’s sitting at a table in the corner, nursing a cup of coffee, chin propped sleepily in his hand. Jared is beside him with a plate piled high with scrambled eggs and hash browns. Misha’s stomach grumbles. 

When Jensen spots him, he gives him a wave. “Grab some food and come on over here. We’ve got about twenty minutes before we’re due in make-up.” Misha speeds through the buffet, skipping over the pastries in favor of a pleasantly varied selection of fruit. He grabs a bottle of milk and walks over to the table, a little unsure of his welcome with Jared despite Jensen’s invitation. 

Jared looks up and smiles and it’s like those tense moments yesterday never happened. “Mornin’.”

And Jared seems willing to forgive and forget, but Misha still feels the need to apologize. “I’m sorry for staring like that. It was incredibly rude.”

Jared chuckles. “Yeah, well. _I’m_ sorry if I scared you.”

Denial is automatic, really. “I wasn’t scared.”

Jensen laughs outright. “Oh, yes you were. There’s no shame in it, man. Jared’s a big boy.”

Jared smirks at Jensen. “And don’t you forget it.”

Jensen’s response is to arch a brow and take another sip of his coffee.

Misha is getting a clear sensation of the ease that Jim had talked about and he wants to be sure that both Jensen and Jared understand that from now on, he’ll be doing his part to maintain it. “It won’t happen again. I was just – surprised.”

Jensen’s hand brushes his chest in a move that seems unconscious. “Yeah. It’s not the kind gruesome you see every day. Don’t worry about it.”

Jared frowns. He starts to say something, but closes his mouth when Jensen lays the same hand on his arm. They share a loaded glance. Jared ducks his head and digs into his eggs and Misha has a sense they’re having an entire conversation in the silence that follows.

For a moment, he misses Vicki so badly it hurts.

\+ || + || +

When they wrap the first episode, Jared and Jensen force him to go out and then they get him stinking drunk. Jensen kicks his ass at darts and Jared takes him to school at the pool table. Misha blames the alcohol. He could have totally beaten them both, if he’d been sober. 

At least that’s what he tells himself. And Vicki, when she asks, although she doesn’t appear to believe him. Or have much sympathy. He pays for Friday night all day Saturday and part of Sunday, but by Monday he’s back to his old self. Mostly.

He’s only got one scene to film, but the day flies by anyway. He spends twenty minutes chatting with Shannon about _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ and another forty sitting with Jim watching Jared and Jensen alternately blow takes and blow right through them. Sophomoric antics balanced with serious craft. It’s not Jared’s tongue getting twisted on the same line for the tenth time that has everyone cracking up – it’s the rim shot effect of the comical expression on Jensen’s face.

Jim shoots Misha a look, like _can you believe this shit_ , and all Misha can do is laugh right along with him. He likes this place and he likes these people. He thinks that maybe the new kid feeling faded somewhere over the weekend along with his hangover. He doesn’t feel like a visitor anymore, assessing and evaluating new terrain. He feels like he’s starting to fit in here.

And that feels pretty damn awesome.

\+ || + || +

As time goes by, Misha sees more and more just how much responsibility falls on the shoulders of Jared and Jensen. Part of it is obvious – they’re the lead actors, after all – but most of it is subtle. Just like Sam and Dean are the heart of _Supernatural_ , Jared and Jensen are at the very center of the family that makes the show happen. They set the standard with their dedication to the work and their genuinely good natures set a positive tone that’s woven through every aspect of the production. 

They’re the foundation that everything else rests upon, the bedrock reality that’s taken for granted until something unexpected comes along and rocks it.

It happens on Wednesday, halfway through filming _Are You There, God? It’s Me Dean Winchester_. A production assistant walking too fast with his head bent over a clipboard plows into a key grip, who stumbles into a freestanding spotlight that teeters and wobbles before crashing into Jensen. Misha watches it unfold in slow motion. And it’s almost funny, like cascading dominoes or old school slapstick, except it ends with Jensen sprawled on the ground.

Everyone freezes for a minute, and then everyone’s in motion. Misha reaches Jensen a second behind Phil, who’s yelling over his shoulder. “Get the medic!” The wide-eyed P.A. who started it all scurries off.

Jensen’s conscious and talking. Thank God. “I’m fine. I’m good. Let me up.”

Phil kneels down next to him. “Stay still, Jensen. I don’t want you moving until the Doc gets here.”

There’s a cut above Jensen’s left eyebrow. The blood is flowing freely and Misha can’t believe Jensen hasn’t noticed. “You’ve been cut.”

Shannon presses a towel into Misha’s hands. “Use this. I’m gonna get Jared.”

Jensen pushes Phil off and struggles to sit up. “ _No._ Don’t…”

But Shannon’s already gone.

Jensen takes the towel from Misha and holds it to his forehead. “Help me up.”

Phil’s hands flutter nervously around Jensen’s shoulders, as if he’s not sure whether he should be supporting Jensen or keeping him still. “I don’t think so.”

Jensen’s mouth is a thin line and Misha realizes that he’s pissed. He is well and _truly_ pissed. “You know what I think, Phil? I think there’s no fucking way I’m going to be on the ground, _bleeding_ , when Jared gets here. So, either help me up or get the fuck out of my way. _Now._ ”

“Oh, God.” Phil pales and scrunches his face like he’s about to cry. “Why does this shit always happen on my watch? He’s going to _kill_ me.”

“Not if you help me up.”

Phil scrambles to his feet. Misha positions himself to the side, prepared to steady Jensen if need be. As soon as Jensen’s upright, there’s a pounding that sounds like a train and feels like an earthquake.

And suddenly, Jared is there, shoving Misha aside. His eyes are wild and he’s breathing hard. He must have run all the way from wherever Shannon found him.

“ _Jensen_. What the fuck?”

“I’m okay.”

“Let me see.”

“It’s nothing, Jay.”

Jared steps closer to Jensen, no hesitancy at all as he reaches out and tilts Jen’s face up, _cradling_ it in his broad palm. “Let. Me. _See_.”

Jensen obeys, dropping his arm and wincing as the cotton pulls away from the wound. “See? Just a little cut. You’ve done worse shaving. It’s not a big deal.”

The almost broken look on Jared’s face says exactly the opposite, as does the thumb he strokes gently over Jensen’s brow, just under the cut. Misha doesn’t need to hear Jared’s murmured, “It is to me.”

Some things are obvious.

\+ || + || +

The medic arrives a few minutes later and Jared steps back to let him work, but he doesn’t go far. He stands behind Jensen; hands on the back of Jensen’s chair, gripping so tightly his knuckles turn white. It doesn’t take long, a little bit of peroxide, a few butterfly bandages – but in the short time Jensen’s being worked on, ten people walk over to ask if there’s anything he needs. Jensen has a smile for everyone, but Jared’s body is a long tense line. On Shannon’s second trip over, she hugs Jared before she moves away. He relaxes after that, but just barely. 

Misha watches them all – the way Jared is standing guard and Shannon is hovering, how Phil still hasn’t lost his vague look of terror and Jensen, who seems to be taking this better than anybody else, is slowly, but surely getting everybody to calm down. Misha hadn’t even been aware of his own adrenaline rush, but he feels it drain away.

People are starting to clear out when Kim comes in with Serge. They head straight to the makeshift first aid station. Misha can’t hear what’s being said, but Jensen has a sheepish look on his face, so it’s a safe bet he’s getting a talking to. Then they’re all laughing. Kim claps Jensen on the shoulder and pats Jared’s arm. He leaves them with Serge and walks over to stand beside Misha.

“How are you doing?”

Honestly, Misha’s feeling tired and shocky, but _his_ well being is hardly the point right now. “I’m fine. Tell me, is it always this exciting around here?”

Kim’s gaze is on Jared and Jensen and his expression is fond, almost parental. “No. Sometimes it’s worse.”

Misha can’t imagine how they all feel, seeing Jensen hurt again, even in such a minor way. He feels bad enough, and he knows it’s got to be only a vague echo compared how it is for people who were actually _there_. But Jensen – “Jensen’s doing okay.”

Kim gives a half-smile, eyes still on still the boys. “Not really Jensen I’m worried about right now.”

Misha follows the path of Kim’s gaze. The medic is packing up his gear. Jensen is relaxed in his chair, but Jared’s agitation is clear in the rigidness of his shoulders and the hand he keeps running through his hair.

“This must bring it all back.”

Kim nods. “Yeah. That was a bad day.”

“No one talks about it.”

“How often do you talk about the worst thing that ever happened to you?”

“Jensen seems fine.”

Kim laughs at that. “Oh, Jensen _is_ fine. It’s the rest of us…” He shakes his head. “We almost lost him.”

There’s a desolate quality to Kim’s tone and Misha is ashamed all over again that he ever treated any of this like a mystery that needed to be solved. “You were there.”

“I was. We were filming a remote and we’d just broken for lunch. The boys went over to talk to some fans who’d been watching all morning. I wasn’t really paying attention, and then I heard the gunshot. It was absolute chaos. People running and shouting. A couple of crewmembers took care of the girl, but all I could see was Jensen, _bleeding_. God, there was so much blood.” Kim shudders. “I really thought he was going to bleed to death before we could get him help, but Jared kept pressure on the wound. Didn’t let up for a second. The paramedics had to practically knock him out to get him to move away so they could work.”

The picture Kim is painting is visceral and terrifying. Misha had known that Jared was there, of course, but he’d had no _idea_. “Jared saved Jensen’s life.”

“They saved each other.” Kim reads Misha’s look of confusion, and to Misha’s surprise, elaborates. “I didn’t get the full story ‘til we got to the hospital. But that girl? She wasn’t in her right mind. She came to kill Sam Winchester. She thought he was the Anti-Christ.”

“She meant to shoot Jared and Jensen got in the way?”

“More like put himself there. The way Shannon tells it, there wasn’t a moment during the entire confrontation that Jensen didn’t keep himself between Jared and the gun.”

Misha lets out a low whistle. “Fuck. No wonder Jared is so protective of Jensen.”

Kim’s wry grin and dry, “Well, that’s certainly part of it,” tell Misha there’s still a piece of the puzzle missing, but Jared and Jensen have finished with the medic and are heading their direction so he doesn’t have a chance to ask.

“We done for the day?” The thread of steel in Jared’s question makes it more of a statement, but Kim just nods.

“Yep. We’ll try it all again tomorrow, if Jensen here can manage not to bump into any more furniture.”

Jensen gives him a sloppy salute. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

Jared is the only one who doesn’t smile.

\+ || + || +

Misha swings by wardrobe to ditch the trench coat and stops at his dressing room to get cleaned up. By the time he makes his way to back of the lot to meet his driver, dusk is falling. He rounds the corner, stepping into shadows being cast by the setting sun. Jared and Jensen are there waiting for their own ride. Jensen is leaning against the wall, Jared is pacing back in forth a few feet in front of him, and neither of them notices Misha’s approach. 

Jared is clearly still wired. “Where the fuck is Clif?”

“Give him a break, Jared. How was he supposed to know we’d finish early? He said he’d be here in fifteen.”

“I want to go home.”

“And we will. Stop pacing, dude. You’re making me dizzy.”

Jared whirls toward Jensen with an urgency totally out of proportion to the mildness of Jensen’s tone. “What do you mean, you’re dizzy? You said you were fine.”

“It’s a figure of speech, Jay. Relax.”

“You got hurt. _Again_. Do not fucking tell me to relax.”

“C’mere.”

Jared shakes his head and resumes his pacing. “I can’t…You can’t keep doing this to me, Jen.”

“Hey. It’s not like I did it on purpose. Shit like this happens. You know that. A year ago, you’d be calling me clumsy and laughing about it.”

Jared stops and takes a step toward Jensen. Misha swears he can see Jared’s lower lip quiver. “It’s not funny.”

“You’re right. It’s not.” Jensen holds out a hand. “Come here, Jay.” Jared hesitates. “ _Please_.”

When Jared takes his hand, Jensen pulls him in until there’s barely any space between them. He lays Jared’s open palm over the center of his own chest and holds it there. 

There’s a beat, and then two, and then all of the tension seems to leave Jared’s body in a drawn out sigh. “ _Jensen._ ”

He drops his head onto Jensen’s shoulder, drops his arms to wrap around Jensen’s waist. Jensen tangles his hand in the hair at Jared’s nape. His voice is soft. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Jared’s response is too muffled for Misha to hear. 

Misha watches them and remembers Kim’s wry grin. _This_ is the missing piece, the story _behind_ the story. Jared and Jensen.

Jensen nuzzles Jared’s cheek and shifts until their lips brush. Misha clears his throat. Accidentally overhearing their conversation is one thing, watching them make out would just be skeevy. Even if it would be hot as hell.

“Hey, guys.”

They both turn their heads, but neither makes any move to pull away from the other. They aren’t embarrassed to be seen like this together, they’re not worried at all about his reaction. The implicit trust fills Misha with warmth. And he wonders how he didn’t see it before, how much they care about each other. When they never really tried to hide it, and couldn’t even if they did. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere about forests and trees, but Misha's too tired to parse it.

“Hey, Misha.” Jared’s voice is husky, but warm.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Jensen gives him a sleepy smile. “You didn’t.”

They wait for their rides in a comfortable silence. Misha thinks about how happy he is he took this job. He understands, fully, why Jim said it was his favorite place to work. Misha’s no stranger to being the new kid. He’s been on over ten different shows in the last several years, but for the first time, he feels like he’s part of the _us_ , not one of the _them_.

He came to Vancouver looking for a particular story and he’ll being leaving with two. There’s no question as to which one is favorite. Because Misha might be a curious guy, but he’s also a guy who married his high school sweetheart. 

He knows true love when he sees it.

 

_END_


End file.
